St. John's Richard Rodgers leaves Cal for draft

Former St. John's High football star Richard Rodgers, a junior at the University of California, reportedly has hired an agent and will declare himself eligible for the NFL draft.

The 6-foot-4, 245-pound tight end was used mostly as a slot receiver this season, catching 39 passes for 608 yards and a touchdown, but the Bears finished 1-11, didn't beat an FBS opponent, and ended the season with a 63-13 loss at Stanford.

A former candidate for the John Mackey Award given to the nation's top tight end, Rodgers caught the go-ahead, 75-yard TD pass in Cal's only win against Portland State.

Rodgers was one of five Cal juniors to request evaluations from the NFL Draft Advisory Board, Bears coach Sonny Dykes said last week.

According to Tony Pauline, an NFL draft analyst and publisher of DraftInsider.net, Rodgers received some second-round grades and was compared athletically to the San Diego Chargers' Antonio Gates. Other draft boards listed him among the top 10 tight ends.

As a high school wide receiver, Rodgers caught 40 career touchdown passes and led St. John's High to a Super Bowl title as a senior.

Rodgers played in every game as a true freshman at Cal in 2011 before foot and shoulder injuries limited his playing time as a sophomore.

He had shoulder surgery in December and missed spring ball during his four-month recovery.

Rodgers joins former Doherty High star Yawin Smallwood in declaring early for the NFL draft. Smallwood recently completed his junior season at Connecticut. UMass senior tight end Rob Blanchflower, also a St. John's High graduate, is also draft eligible.